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Sunday, 13 September 2015

Malaysian pilgrims shocked by blood and chaos

MECCA: Malaysian pilgrim Mahzan Misni was metres away from the spot where a construction crane collapsed onto the Grand Mosque here on Friday, killing 107 people and injuring 238.

“There was a very loud noise. Then there was chaos. The saie (prayer hall) on the first floor became dark with dust churned up by the collapsed crane.

“Moments later, I saw bodies sprawled all over the place. Some pilgrims were covered in blood, others had their clothes stained with the blood of the dead,” he added.

Mahzan, 49, who was thankful that he was safe, said he was performing the optional prayers after the Asar prayers when the accident occurred.

“I was only thinking of the safety of all my five roommates while rushing back from the mosque to our place of accommodation.

“Thank God, they were all there when I returned to our living quarters at the Abaj Al-Jandriah building 750m from the Grand Mosque,” he said.

Tabung Haji said 10 Malaysian pilgrims were injured and eight had yet to be accounted for.

It also conducted a room-to-room inspection at all the places of accommodation of Malaysian pilgrims in the holy land.

Head of the Malaysian Haj delegation Datuk Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman said Tabung Haji conducted a room-to-room inspection to check on Malaysian pilgrims in the holy land after the Isyak prayers.

Several other Malaysians who were at the Grand Mosque during the incident expressed shock.

Pilgrim Mohd Razak Jaid, 59, of Kepong, said that he was on the second floor and helped other pilgrims who were in a state of confusion.

“I managed to pull away a pilgrim from Thailand in the nick of time from the falling bricks and rubble.

“The situation became chaotic, pilgrims were rushing out while those from outside were running in,” he said.“I saw dead pilgrims, looked at their tags, but did not see any Malaysian tag or identification,” said the retired policeman. — Bernama